Home Sweet Home Study

Well, we had the big, official "home study" this past Saturday (March 27th)!  We (especially me) were a little nervous but overall it turned out great.  We worked really hard on Thursday to get the outside and inside of the house looking good, especially to wash the winter off this place! :)  You know how the house (outside & in) can just look blah after a long, cold winter!  You might be wondering, "What is a home study?"  Well let me just fill you in - the short version is this - a social worker comes to our house, inspects it for safety, provision of a baby room (doesn't have to be ready, just have to have a designated space), and interviews us as well.  This is always a requirement when adopting.  So first, let me tell you what we did.  Then I'll tell you what went down.


How we prepared:

• I asked a Social Worker friend on things we needed to do around the house.  She recommended a few things (we did way above & beyond what she suggested though).  I will admit, we probably did not need to do all of this below, but I wanted the SW to feel welcome as soon as she drove up in the driveway.
• Cut the grass, pulled weeds in our huge flower beds, and used Round Up where ever it was needed
• Bought a couple of nice big Boston ferns & put them in my urns out front to flank the front door
• Bought a really pretty blue hyacinth, plopped it (container & all) into my lime green flower pot, then put that into my flower stand between our two rocking chairs on the front porch.  Between the ferns and these flowers, it really added a pretty Southern touch of spring to the look of the house & (I think) made it feel much more welcoming.
• Washed the outside of the windows (wow were they nasty!!)
• Washed the vinyl siding under the front porch - just with the heavy pressure from the water hose - to get the spider webs, dirt, and dust that had collected there all winter.
• Spring cleaned the inside of the house.  Another friend, a PA that works with me in the ER (who has also adopted), told me not to Spring Clean- that they don't do a white glove test or anything.  But I was paranoid that she might sit down on the couch and in the middle of the 2-hour interview start noticing the dust on the shelves above the couch, or the dust collecting under my china cabinet, or whatever.  So I did.  Spring Clean that is...  My house never looked so good :)
• As per my SW friend, we bought outlet covers for every single outlet in the house.  We also bought cabinet locks (although didn't install them) in case she asked about that.  We made sure the fire alarms were in good working order.  Justin's gun was sent away (out of the house).
• We also reviewed the sample questions that our agency sent to us to help us prepare for the difficult questions she would ask.  It did help to think about these things before she came.

Here's how the home study went:

• She asked us a few questions.
• Then we gave her a tour of the house.  Literally... a tour.  She did not open one cabinet, ask about cabinet locks, or outlet covers, or fire alarms, or anything!!  She didn't open one closet door.  So all that work was probably (definitely) overkill :)  But still worth getting the house clean.
• Then she interviewed us intensely for 2 hours.  First she interviewed us together, asked us about our marriage, how we met, how we got along, etc.  Then she interviewed us separately, talking about our childhood, our parents, grandparents, siblings, extended family,... how we all get along, any issues (like Justin's parents' divorce & how it affected him, our relationship, and how he will parent his own child).
• Then we set up a date for 2 more interviews - to be done at her place in Greenville - lasting only an hour or less each meeting.

That's it!  Although the interview part was pretty grueling, the home study was essentially a breeze.  HOORAY!!!  :)  She was very nice, and put us at ease from the beginning.  We now realize she's here to help us, not to keep us from moving forward with our adoption!

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On a different note, we celebrated my brother & his wife's upcoming bundle of joy with a baby shower on Sunday.  It was a fun and beautiful shower.  I am so truly happy for them.  The Lord has given me such a peace and joy for them, and no feelings of sadness or ill-will on my part at all.  Not even jealousy! :)  Several of my friends have asked if it's hard ... to see them pregnant & all that comes with it ... it's really not.  I am so very blessed that I have not struggled with this; it's only by God's grace and peace.  I cannot wait to be an aunt!!! Here's some pics from their shower.

Lastly,  we did receive our first baby gift this weekend - from my mom's cousin Gale.  She is so incredibly sweet and has a true gift of encouragement.  The card that came with the gift brought tears to my eyes, as its message was right on.  An excerpt from the card reads:  

"A simple act of faith can produce what the natural can not produce - A Miracle [Babbie Mason].  God can equip you to step up to the difficulties you face.  Look them in the eye without fear, defy the odds and watch a miracle be born in the face of impossibility."  

Is that not amazing?!?!  Here's a pic of our first baby gifts (from Gale and her husband Steve).